Generally described, computing devices and communication networks can be utilized to exchange information. In one use, a computing device can request information from content providers via a communication network. Content providers can be, for example, Web sites such as blog sites, e-commerce sites, search engines, social network sites, and the like. For example, a user of a personal computing device can utilize a browser to request content (e.g., a Web page) from a server computing device via the Internet. In such embodiments, the user computing device can be referred to as a client computing device and the server computing device can be referred to as the content provider.
To facilitate accessing a history of accessed network resources, browsers provide navigation controls that allow users to provide an indication that they wish to return to a previously accessed network resource. For example, browsers provide a graphical icon or control that corresponds to a user request to access the most recent previously accessed network resource, often referred to as a “back button” or “back arrow.” Upon receipt of such a request, a browser can utilize an access history of the network resource identifiers (e.g., URLs) that have been accessed over a defined period of time to identify the most recent resource identifier listed in the history and attempt to display and/or access the network resource corresponding to the identifier again. Multiple selections of such a back button navigation control cause the browser to display the network resources in the reverse order of a particular user's access history. A “forward button” navigation control further facilitates selection of content from network resources in the forward order of the user's access history.
Because users can access the same network resources multiple times, browsers often attempt to improve performance and/or convenience by maintaining information about the network resources (e.g., Web pages) that have been accessed. As previously discussed, the information maintained by the browser applications can include an access history of the network resource identifiers (e.g., URLs) that have been accessed over a defined period of time. The information maintained by the browser application can also include user or account identifiers that are exchanged between the browser application and the content provider that allow for the identification of users and customization of content by the content provider. This information may be retained or referenced in what is known as “Web cookies,” among other possibilities. Additionally, the information maintained by the browser application can include information provided by a user while accessing a network resource, such as user identifiers/login data, password data, form or text entry data, and the like. Still further, the information maintained by the browser can include locally stored (e.g. cached) copies of embedded text, images, and other content utilized in the rendering of the network resource, such as in a file or memory.